This is gonna be a short one...and a happy one. Promise.
Today was a good day. For the first time since chemo, I woke up without a headache. It's now 8:30p.m. and I still don't have a headache. The relief is amazing. Today, I got to be "normal" Lindsay. I took my kiddos to school, played with my little Harper at her mommy and me class...and even did some cooking. Yes, today was a good day.
Of course, I did have to go today for my "STAT" MRI. Josh worked his schedule so that he could come with me, while my Mom watched Harper, and Mia played at a friend's house. Josh and I arrived right on time for check-in...I filled out all of my paperwork. Most of it had to do with asking about things like previous surgeries, do I have any metal in my body? How about a pacemaker? Artificial hip? Steel rods? Any sort of implant? How about tissue expanders? Check. For the first time ever, I had to check "yes" to one of those boxes. I DO have tissue expanders...my little friends that are preparing my body for my final reconstructive surgery when all of my treatment is over.
The technician called me back, wanded my down (like they do at the airport), and had me change into a robe. Then he asked me,
"So, these tissue expanders...do you know what kind they are? Do you have the model number?"
"Uh, no."
"Ok, well I'm going to have to call your doctor and see, because some expanders have a little magnetic port in them, and that would not work for you to be under the Magnet of the MRI."
"Sure." So, I gave him Dr. McDreamy's number. Josh and I didn't think anything of it, until the tech came out and said,
"No MRI today. Your expanders have magnetic metal in them. You can't have an MRI until they come out. I guess you should discuss it with your doctor and see what other measures he wants to take."
All the while, I'm thinking...well, my headache is gone, maybe I don't need the MRI. And, in a nutshell, that is the ending to this story.
Josh and I went to Dr. Banerjee's office and talked with the nurse practitioner. Dr. Banerjee was already gone for the day. Of course, this was a classic case of one hand not talking to the other. Banerjee's office knew that I had tissue expanders of course, but whomever scheduled the MRI didn't mention them, or the MRI person on the other end didn't ask enough for my doctor to inquire as to what type of expanders I had. It was a mix-up for sure, but I think it was a happy accident. Just another example of the Lord taking over and giving me His answer.
In the end, the decision was that I don't need a scan. If my headaches come back without explanation, then sure, they will do a CT Scan. For now, there is no point in looking for an explanation to a problem that is no longer there. There are about a million reasons why I would get a tension headache...the chemo drugs, the prescription drugs I've been taking that I've never taken before, the stress of all of this, lack of sleep (despite taking Ambien every night), taking Ambien every night (which I've never taken before). That's my theory...the Ambien. I've taken Ambien since the night of my chemo, to help make sure I get a good sleep, and it's never really worked. I've woken up multiple times just about every night, and I usually never get close to a full 8 hours of sleep. Night before last, it dawned on me...why am I taking this pill that isn't doing it's job? So, I skipped the Ambien. When did my headaches stop? Yesterday. Skipped the Ambien last night (and slept great), and no headache today. Voila.
So, thank you to all of you who have asked how my MRI went. In the end, it went well, because it didn't go at all, because I didn't need it at all. I'm trusting in God that my storm really has run out of rain and that there is nothing else for me to worry about except finishing the treatment path before me. Thank you all for your prayers...they worked in a way better than I could have imagined. Good night!
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